Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for outputting alert messages of a driver assistance system in a vehicle. In the method, data on the movement of the vehicle and data on accident risks in the vehicle's surroundings are acquired, the acquired data are evaluated and assigned a specific accident risk category, and an alert message is output depending on the assigned accident risk category. The invention further relates to an associated driver assistance system and to a vehicle with such a driver assistance system.
Description of the Background Art
Driver assistance systems or modules for such system, which support the driver of the vehicle during the task of driving, are being employed increasingly in vehicles. The driver assistance systems for this purpose comprise sensors in order to detect events in the vehicle's environment, its interior, or events generated by in-vehicle devices. The data produced by the sensors are evaluated and converted into signals, which support the driver during driving of the vehicle. The generated signals can result in the outputting of information or warnings. Further, the signals can also intervene directly in the driving process, for example, by activating the vehicle's brakes in a defined manner.
Meanwhile, there are many driver assistance programs for accident risk detection, which are used in vehicles. These include, for example, a lane adherence assist or lane adherence support, adaptive cruise control (ACC), a collision radar, a device for automatic emergency braking, an anti-lock braking system, traction control, an electronic stability program, and a parking assist system.
If many driver assistance programs are used in a vehicle, the need arises for the most intuitively comprehensible presentation of the system outputs. With the growing number of driver assistance modules, the handling and reading or acquisition of program outputs are becoming increasingly more difficult.
DE 10 2007 029 033 A1 describes a method for outputting warnings for a motor vehicle with a plurality of driver assistance systems. To enable a simple information assimilation for the driver, the warnings are divided into at least two different time criticality categories and displayed as a function of these. The outputting of the warnings occurs via the display of protection circles, which show different protection zones formed around a graphic representation of the vehicle. The individual protection circles correspond to the time criticality categories. Time-critical warnings are visualized by a protection circle lying farther to the inside and preferably depending on the time criticality signaled not only visually, but in addition haptically and/or acoustically.
DE 102 44 205 A1, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 7,515,056 and to U.S. Pat. No. 7,145,441, describes a method and apparatus for preventing collision of vehicles, in which motion parameters of the vehicle are detected by means of sensors. A failure-to-yield criterion and a collision risk criterion are derived from these, from which a risk level is ascertained. At a low risk, the driver can be made aware of the risk situation by optical and/or acoustic signals. In further escalation stages, in addition haptic signals can be output and the brakes and/or the steering can be prepared or in fact influenced for their imminent use.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,579,942 B2 describes an apparatus for supporting the safe operation of a vehicle. In this case, a collision prediction can be generated by means of a plurality of sensor signals and a model. An alarm is output if a collision risk above a specific risk threshold is determined.